[Nfb-editors] editing a newsletter, a thankless job?

[Mike Freeman]

Hi, Everyone.

The continuing discussion of the purposes of affiliate newsletters and
effective strategies for publishing them is quite interesting and is IMO the
best thing to come down the pike on this list in quite a while.  I have a
few observations.  Some may find some of them a mite cynical but I'd hate to
disappoint those who expect and are exasperated by such cynicism from me.
(big grin)

First, Lori is exactly right:  I remember hearing the same advice from Dr.
Jernigan -- if people won't write articles, ask their permission and right
them for them; if nothing else, you'll crank up the shame factor a tad and
they might write articles for you in the future, if only to assuage guilt.
(grin)  But as Bill Meeker says, unless there are pressing issues as there
are within Wisconsin, and with many more types of media competing for our
attention these days, should we be surprised when people aren't champing at
the bit to write for newsletters?  I would submit that having a by-line
isn't quite the incentive it once was except, perhaps, for would-be writers.

Second, as Bridgit has found out the hard way, I think most members of
affiliates (including most of their leadership) likes the *idea* and the
prestige of having a newsletter far more than it likes the grunge-work of
actually producing one.  It reminds me of one time when I came home from
college and my mother asked me if I wanted some home-made fudge.  I answered
in the affirmative whereupon she said: "Here are the ingredients and the
recipe!  Have at it!"  I then said that I wanted the fudge but not *that*
much!  Wrong answer! (grin)  I did make the fudge and it was delicious!  But
back to newsletters.  I think more of us should make it crystal-clear to our
affiliates' members that Heinlein's TANSTAFFL maxim still applies:  there
Ain't No Such thing As A Free Lunch!  Actions speak louder than words!  I'd
put it to the members straight:  "You *say* you want a newsletter but your
actions say otherwise!"  If you don't get articles, well, we are a democracy
and the people have spoken, if only by their silence.

Third, I think Joe's idea has merit and is an interesting variation on the
theme:  perhaps several adjacent affiliates could come up with enough
budding writers and reporters to produce a viable newsletter.  The question
is whether such a house organ would be found effective by those who would
read it?  And here I'm writing of those who do *not* have access to
electronic media such as email or Facebook or Twitter.

Fourth (and I mean no criticism here), it strikes me that part of Bridgit's
anguish lies in the fact that others of us do not get the charge out of
writing that she and our esteemed Committee chair do.  In my case, I think I
can write a decent sentence but I'd much rather write legislative language
and argue like a lawyer over dotting the I's and crossing the T's than I
would writing newsletter articles.  Surely I am not alone.

The bottom-line question then becomes whether it's worth it in terms of
gaining new affiliate members and/or PR to have newsletters and if so, what
incentives aside from mere cajoling or issuing guilt-trips we can come up
with to horn-swaggle reluctant article-writers into putting pencil to paper
or stylus to slate.

Mike Freeman


-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-editors-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-editors-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of LoriStay at aol.com
Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2011 7:50 AM
To: nfb-editors at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Nfb-editors] editing a newsletter, a thankless job?

 When we first started Slate & Style, Dr. Jernigan gave us some advice:   
If you can't get someone else to write an article, write it yourself.   If 
you don't want your name on all the articles, ask permission of others to
use 
their names.   Eventually people begin to submit.
What I found as editor of Slate & Style was that I often had to get on the 
phone to specific people and assign them an article, subject and word length

specified.   Did it always get results?   Not always, but often enough so 
that we were able to publish continuously four times a year.   Did I write 
many articles under other people's names?   No.   Only once did I take an 
article that was barely in English and edit it severely   so it could be 
understood.   Otherwise, most needed light editing.   
Dr. Jernigan's advice to write articles myself reflected the need he found 
when he began editing the Braille Monitor.   So you are not alone, Bridgit.

 The job begins as thankless, but there are ways around it.   Mainly, find 
writers who want to see their bylines in print (or Braille or email 
edition).
Lori 

> When so many people have their hands dipped in so many pots,
> > how do you get dedication, professionalism and outstanding work done?
> >
> > Drowning in Nebraska (A.K.A Bridgit)
> 
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